Goodman was regarded by some as a demanding taskmaster, by others an arrogant and eccentric martinet. Many musicians spoke of The Ray, Goodman's trademark glare that he bestowed on a musician who failed to perform to his demanding standards. Anita O'Day and Helen Forrest spoke bitterly of their experiences singing with Goodman. "The twenty or so months I spent with Benny felt like twenty years," said Forrest. "When I look back, they seem like a life sentence." He could also be incredibly self-absorbed; it is reported that when eating an egg onto which a ketchup bottle cap had fallen, Goodman simply ate around it. At the same time, there are reports that he privately funded several college educations and was sometimes very generous, though always secretly. When a friend asked him why one time, he reportedly said, "Well, if they knew about it, everyone would come to me with their hand out."
Some suggest that Elvis Presley had the same success with rock and roll that Goodman achieved with jazz and swing. Without Goodman there would not have been a swing era. It is true that many of Goodman's arrangements had been played for years before by Fletcher Henderson's orchestra. While Goodman publicly acknowledged his debt to Henderson, many young white swing fans had never heard Henderson's band. While most consider Goodman a jazz innovator, others maintain his main strength was his perfectionism and drive. Goodman was a non - pariel virtuoso clarinetist and -along with only Artie Shaw, amongst the most technically proficient jazz clarinetists of all time.
Goodman is also responsible for a significant step in racial integration in America. In the early 1930s, black and white jazz musicians could not play together in most clubs or concerts. In the Southern states, racial segregation was enforced by the Jim Crow laws. Benny Goodman broke with tradition by hiring Teddy Wilson to play with him ] in the Autumn of 1936. He then added Lionel Hampton on vibes in December, 1936, and in the early Summer of 1939 he augmented the famous "quartette" with pioneering jazz guitarist Charlie Christian to his band and small ensembles, who played with him until his untimely death from tuberculosis less than three years later. To give an understanding of American history at this time, Goodman's integration of popular music happened ten years before Jackie Robinson entered Major League Baseball. "[Goodman's] popularity was such that he could remain financially viable without touring the South, where he would have been subject to arrest for violating Jim Crow laws." By the mid- Summer of 1941, Benny had hired the incomparably rhythmic and show-man drummer, legendary "Big Sid" Catlett, the (later) famous John Simmons on bass, and still possessed the incomparable Charlie Christian on electric guitar -plus Cootie Williams was in the middle of his one-year contract... This amounted to virtually one-quarter of the orchestra of black heritage, but of course -following Jimmy Munday and Fletcher Henderson (who also joined the band as pianist for 6 months in July, 1939) it was really an orchestrated white extension of black big band jazz -only, curiously -better.
Love Walked in
Benny Goodman Lyrics
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Love walked right in and brought my sunniest day
One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello
Though not a word was spoken
One look, and I forgot the gloom of the past
One look and I had found my future at last
One look and I had found a world completely new
One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello
Though not a word was spoken
One look and I had found a world completely new
When love walked in with you
The lyrics to "Love Walked In" by Benny Goodman and His Orchestra describe a powerful moment of falling in love. The first two lines of the song set the tone, as the arrival of love drives away the "shadows" and brings the singer's "sunniest day." The singer's heart seems to instantly recognize the arrival of love, even without a word being spoken. The next stanza is focused on the transformative power of falling in love. The singer forgets the past and finds their future in just one look. They are able to see the world in a completely new way when love walks in.
The song's lyrics are a testament to the power of love and the way that it can completely transform one's life. The use of metaphors, such as "shadows" and "sunniest day," emphasize the dramatic change that love brings. The repetition of "one look" emphasizes the idea that falling in love can happen in an instant, without warning or explanation. The final line of the song, "When love walked in with you," suggests that the singer's love interest is the reason for this transformation.
Line by Line Meaning
Love walked right in and drove the shadows away
The arrival of love had an immediate impact on the singer's mood by removing any darkness or negativity.
Love walked right in and brought my sunniest day
Love's entrance into the singer's life brought with it an intense feeling of joy and brightness that had been missing before.
One magic moment and my heart seemed to know that love said hello
The singer felt an immediate sense of connection to love, as if they were waiting for it and recognized its arrival.
Though not a word was spoken
Despite love's arrival being silent and wordless, the impact it had on the singer was instantaneous and profound.
One look, and I forgot the gloom of the past
Just one glance from the person the singer fell in love with was enough to make them forget all the sadness and pain of their past.
One look and I had found my future at last
In that same glance, the singer saw a future with this person and knew that they had finally found their soulmate.
One look and I had found a world completely new
The singer's perspective on life completely changed with that one look from their newfound love, and they saw everything in a new light.
When love walked in with you
The arrival of love was inextricably linked to the person the singer fell in love with and could not have happened without them.
Lyrics © BMG Rights Management, Universal Music Publishing Group, Royalty Network, Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: George Gershwin, Ira Gershwin
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind